1
a
: one that reads
b
: one appointed to read to others: such as
(1)
: lector
(2)
: one chosen to read aloud selected material in a Christian Science church or society
c(1)
(2)
: one who evaluates manuscripts
(3)
: one who reads periodical literature to discover items of special interest or value
d
: an employee who reads and records the indications of meters
e
: a teacher's assistant who reads and marks student papers
2
British
: one who reads lectures or expounds subjects to students
3
a
: a device for projecting a readable image of a transparency
b
: an electronic device that scans coded information (as on punch cards or bar codes) for storage or computation
5
readers plural
: eyeglasses used for reading or close work : reading glasses
Gilda came back with a pair of readers and, looking through her glasses, gave my eyelids serious consideration.—
Jeanne Ray
Jeanne RaySynonyms
Examples of reader in a Sentence
The book's ending leaves readers to draw their own conclusions.
a magazine with three million readers
Recent Examples on the Web
Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians.
—Allison Mashell Mitchell / Made By History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
In this engaging book, a professor of South Asian history invites readers to take a walk with him through Lahore, the city of his birth.
—The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
This book—which tours readers through projects from Texas, mountain country, the Midwest, and more—is not just a study of the work Hunt has contributed to the field.
—Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2024
Featured readers include Juan Carlos Reyes, Angela Garbes, Marcus Harrison Green, Jordynn Paz, Rena Priest, and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha.
—Christine Clarridge, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reader 
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Allison Mashell Mitchell / Made By History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
In this engaging book, a professor of South Asian history invites readers to take a walk with him through Lahore, the city of his birth.
—The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
This book—which tours readers through projects from Texas, mountain country, the Midwest, and more—is not just a study of the work Hunt has contributed to the field.
—Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2024
Featured readers include Juan Carlos Reyes, Angela Garbes, Marcus Harrison Green, Jordynn Paz, Rena Priest, and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha.
—Christine Clarridge, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reader
Dictionary Entries Near reader
Cite this Entry
“Reader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reader. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reader
noun
read·er
ˈrēd-ər 
1
: a person who reads
2
a
: a device that makes a readable image
a microfilm reader
b
: a machine for acquiring data (as for a computer)
a card reader
3
: a book for learning or practicing reading
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